The best team building activities & group events

Team building activities are essentially exercises or events that are designed to improve collaboration between team members. It’s common for these types of activities to be implemented in the workplace, schools, and many types of group settings where there is a need for healthy interpersonal relationships. Leaders opt for team building activities over other methods to achieve specific goals, whether that be by improving team dynamics or boosting morale. These activities can range in intensity and delivery format from standard icebreaker prompts to more complex tasks requiring teamwork and strategic thinking. 

In addition to strengthening bonds between groups, these activities are an excellent way to identify leadership qualities among your members. This is because collaborative activities provide an opportunity to place your group in scenarios that require mutual teamwork and give them a chance to showcase their adaptability and resilience in the face of challenges. There’s also the added benefit of shared experiences during these types of events, which have the potential to lead to improved collaboration in their day-to-day tasks. As a whole, team building events are vital for maintaining a healthy group, regardless of whether the activity is hosted in the office, at a local establishment, or live online through a communication platform like Zoom.

Team building activities have been a staple in the workforce for years as a strategic way for organizations to encourage stronger replacements. However, these activities go beyond typical fun and games; these are events designed with specific team dynamics and goals in mind. When you combine the fun of icebreaker-style office games with a structured team building activity, groups are able to break down communication barriers, build trust, and create a more cohesive work environment. This factor continues to grow in importance as workforces become more diverse with onsite and remote workers, as well as varying backgrounds, skill sets, and working styles. 

One of the most prominent advantages of signing your team up for a collaborative event is the overall success of these activities in improving employee morale. When individuals feel like their voices are heard and valued, as well as being connected to their colleagues, there’s a greater chance of improved engagement and higher motivation for their work. Many people thrive in a low-stress environment outside of the workplace, giving them a chance to highlight their hidden talents or leadership potential that might not be evident in daily work tasks. Another benefit of these activities is the flexibility they provide for organizations of all scopes and sizes. Regardless of whether your team is large and operating together in an office or small and spread across the world, there’s a type of team building activity that can be customized for your specific group. For example, you can choose a virtual team building game if you have a remote team with varying interests or opt for a virtual white elephant gift exchange to help get your group in the holiday spirit. Overall, investing in a group activity means you’re actively contributing to the long-term success of your team.

Once you’ve signed your group up for a team building activity, you’ll get to experience a structured event where everyone can interact outside of the office. It’s common for these events to start with an introduction or general icebreaker from an engaging host to set the tone and help participants feel comfortable. Some icebreakers feature simple questions or lighthearted games, allowing team members to learn more about each other. A low-stress opening to the activity is crucial for easing any anxiety and creating a sense of openness within the group. As the activities progress, participants might be divided into smaller groups or teams and tasked with completing a specific challenge. These challenges can range from physical tasks like an obstacle course or adventure course to more thought-provoking activities like virtual escape rooms for team building. Still, regardless of the format, the core objective remains the same: to encourage teamwork and communication. 

During every event, the host(s) will play a key role in guiding the activities, providing feedback, and keeping the group focused. It’s also common, depending on the type of activity or event, for the host to debrief the participants after each activity to discuss what worked, what didn’t, and how the lessons learned can be applied to their everyday work environment. A reflection portion may not be suitable for every type of class, but it is helpful for reinforcing the skills and behaviors that the activities are meant to develop. At the end of the activity, your team should feel more connected to their colleagues and have a deeper understanding of their collective strengths.

There are countless types of activities designed for teams, meaning selecting the right team building exercise requires careful consideration of your team’s unique needs and preferences. An ideal place to start is to set aside time to evaluate the primary objective you hope to achieve through the activity. Are you looking to improve communication and morale or resolve conflicts? Taking a moment to reflect on your goals will help narrow down the options and make sure that the activity you choose delivers the desired results. It’s also important to consider the composition of the group, specifically personalities, interests, abilities, and limitations. 

As this article proves, there are plenty of different types of virtual team building events to choose from (and these are only a handful of the options), so it’s understandable if you’re not quite sure which way to go. The most important thing is to figure out what you aim to achieve with your employees, why you want to achieve those goals, and select an activity that will cater to that goal. If your team is looking to enhance their critical thinking and communication skills, an escape room might be the kind of event that you are looking for. These games encourage quick thinking and will require everyone to work together to solve the smaller puzzles and the larger, overarching challenge before time runs out. Other virtual games, like trivia or bingo, are engaging and elicit high levels of participation but are significantly less collaborative than something like a murder mystery. These events may be best for more established teams that can handle a healthy bit of friendly competition and are looking for a fun way to fight over bragging rights.

For teams with less of a competitive spirit, more laid-back activities like virtual cooking and art classes also make for wonderful team bonding experiences. Whether you’re making fresh dough for a homemade pizza or giving your team members the chance to try their hands at watercolor painting for the first time, these activities are ideal for teams who need to unwind and relax, perhaps after the end of a stressful season or after a major project has finally been pushed over the finish line. Art and cooking classes also encourage conversation and collaboration, meaning they’re also a great choice for a team that might be newer to working together and needs to break the ice a bit. Within each group, there’s bound to be a range of experience levels represented, so those with more comfort in these creative skills can offer support to those who feel a bit intimidated or lost. 

If your event is slated for the holiday season, combining your team building event with a little festive cheer is the perfect way to end the year. The available holiday events cover all of the major categories; there are holiday game competitions, cooking team building events, and craft workshops, so you can certainly find an event that will help your team relax and reconnect after a busy year. Holiday team building activities like a white elephant gift exchange don’t cater to any particular celebration and are an excellent way to ensure everyone feels welcome. This could be the start of a tradition that continues through the years. Leading with inclusivity can help promote a more cohesive workforce and allow everyone to feel appreciated regardless of their cultural background.

Team building activities come in many forms, and each offers a different set of benefits that cater to varying team dynamics. Determining what type of activity fits your group best requires comparing the types of activities to the overall goals of your organization. There are countless types of activity categories available for teams, ranging from art and craft classes to more hands-on experiences like cooking and mixology workshops. You can also consider cognitive activities, like escape rooms, problem-solving challenges, and brick building, all activities that focus on teamwork under pressure. They are particularly beneficial for teams that need to improve their problem-solving skills or navigate high-stakes situations in their work.

Seasonal events like a virtual holiday party for team building are another great way to engage your team, especially when you want to celebrate during specific times of the year. Holiday-themed events can be customized to include different types of team-building exercises that align with the festive spirit, such as holiday-themed trivia, white elephant gift exchanges, or collaborative online games. Many find that incorporating seasonal elements adds a layer of fun to standard team events, making the activities more impactful. Arts and crafts activities like soap making, candle making, or pottery workshops provide a creative and hands-on approach to team bonding. Classes that incorporate artistic elements are perfect for teams that thrive in a collaborative environment where they can express their originality while working together on a tangible project. This dynamic ​​can be particularly refreshing for those who typically work in more structured or analytical roles. No matter what your goals are for your team and organization, there’s an activity that can meet the needs of your group and provide them with lasting memories of the experience.

Event price per participant

One of the significant issues you’ll want to consider when enrolling in a team building event is the price of the event, both in general and per person. Some events are priced based on the number of attendees (these are usually events where items or supplies are included as a part of the event), while others may charge a flat fee up to a certain number of participants (with costs scaling at certain breakpoints). As a general rule, events that provide users with a lot of additional services, particularly things that they will either keep at the end of the event or consume during the event, will be more expensive than events that only require the work of a host (like a trivia event).

In addition to considering the base price, there are also ways that you can impact the cost of the event to make it fit your parameters. For example, if you are hosting a wine and cheese tasting event or a gift exchange, there may be more deluxe packages that you can sign up for. In addition, for some events, like a Paint and Sip workshop, you can make things even easier on your team members by paying a bit extra and having a bottle of wine shipped directly to them, making it feel more rewarding and easier for them to attend. On the flip side, some events offer options that do not include ingredients or supplies, which can make them less expensive without adding too much of an extra hassle to the proceedings. Finally, some events won’t have any additional costs associated with them and will be priced at a stable point or will be relatively cheap on a per person basis. Regardless of what you are aiming for in terms of price, there will be an event that falls into the right range for you.

Length of the event

While most team building events only last a bit of an afternoon or a few hours in the evening, it is worth considering how long the event is going to run and how much added time the event may require from your team members. That is to say, for example, while an in-person scavenger hunt may itself only run for an hour, if it happens to take place in the financial district (which is only one of several in-person NYC options), everyone will need to account for reaching the event and getting home as a part of the time they invest. By contrast, while an at-home mixology event might not require participants to do anything more than show up to the virtual workshop, in order to participate, they will need to get ingredients and barware prepared beforehand. In most cases, this will mean acquiring a few ingredients that can’t be easily shipped (like spirits and perishables), but in many cooking classes, there may be a decent amount of work to do in advance of the workshop to ensure that everything goes according to plan (or things to do afterward, up to and including eating and cleaning).

Can others attend the event?

Many of your team members are likely to have families or significant others who may want to participate, especially if the event is online. This leads to two significant questions that you’ll need to answer: Do you want to host an event that allows for this, and what kind of events lend themselves to this kind of participation? Some events are better suited for families and groups to participate in, while others are more insular, and you’ll want to make this clear to your team members.

For example, live online cooking and mixology art classes, which are low-stake workshops, offer easy ways for people other than just a given team member to participate. Anyone can watch and learn alongside your team members, and many of these events are hands-on enough for additional participants to have a good time. On the other hand, some events really do not lend themselves well to other participants joining in on the event, such as an escape room or a trivia event (though occasionally, those can be game-time decisions on the part of the host). 

Additionally, some events aren’t designed with certain age brackets of attendees in mind, particularly if they are held in person. While a teen might be able to join in on a cooking event, that isn’t really the case with a mixology workshop. Similarly, wine and cheese tastings and paint and sip events also have a 21+ requirement (though these are a bit easier for individuals to modify if they want to bring someone else into the space). Not all of these events are based on whether or not adult beverages are served, but things like this are important to consider.

In-person vs. virtual team building events

Planning a team building event requires careful consideration of several factors, including whether to host the event in person at a local provider or virtually over a teleconferencing platform. Each format has its advantages and potential drawbacks, meaning the right choice for your team will depend on your preferences and overall goals for hosting the activity. In-person team events offer the advantage of direct, face-to-face interaction, an element that’s important when it comes to strengthening relationships and building trust. 

Going through this type of experience in person also creates an opportunity for groups to complete challenges and benefit from the natural energy and spontaneity that come with sharing the same space. While not always feasible for remote groups, in-person activities are particularly beneficial for teams that work closely together in the same office, as they can help reinforce the bonds that are crucial for daily collaboration. However, it’s important to note that they may require more logistical planning, including considerations for travel and scheduling, especially if your team is in different locations.